1st Sunday of Advent 3 December 2023 The coming of Christ
From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead - from the Apostles Creed
We believe it, but we may have trouble with this belief as it concerns the future. When things are in the future we can have difficulty trusting they will actually happen; or we find it hard to visualise something so far outside our experience.
We are on the adventure of our lives here, and for some things we just have to wait to see what they are like. Our concepts, our vocabulary are too limited to be able to see all that is coming.
What no eye has seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Co 2,9)
To add even more mystery we do not know the time of this event. There will be many who predict it too early, as many proposed dates have already gone by.
No amount of time or wrong predictions, however, can take anything away from the event itself.
What will happen on this day? Every person who has ever lived will come back to life. The cemeteries will be emptied; the sea will give up its dead.
Then each person will be judged according to the life he/she has lived. Have we lived as disciples of Christ? Or failing that, have we reached a state of true sorrow for not doing so?
We are judged when we die – this is called the particular judgment; and this judgment is ratified at the general judgment.
Jesus desires to save all, or as many as possible. Those who approach Him with sincere repentance He will forgive freely.
And joyfully: There is more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents (Lk 15,7)
We can prepare for this event by seeking always to come closer to Jesus Christ – asking him for mercy, grace, and reassurance that He is with us to the end of days.
If we have lost any enthusiasm along the way it can be replenished.
If we have taken any wrong turn it can be made straight. (Lk 3,4-6)
He will come once more, in this spectacular way, but we can
say He makes many other comings in the form of the Eucharist, in His word, in His
hearing the prayers of all His disciples. He interacts with us in many ways,
especially if we ask Him to do so.
We need these more subtle comings to help us stay on course for the final coming.
Salvation is a process rather than a moment. We make a commitment to seek a deeper union with Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Advent wreath reminds us that salvation takes time to sink in. Each week brings us closer to the fulness of His intervention. A little more light dawns on us as time goes by.
We are being prepared for Heaven and we have to get rid of whatever will not belong in Heaven. A clean-out of the soul is required.
The more we pray, the more we seek to be transformed, the more that clean-out will happen.
Advent is a season to raise our expectations. Advent reminds us why we need Christmas. We need God among us, and we need to be obeying Him, and thanking Him, and all else that goes with it. This will make the world more like the desired Kingdom of God. The more we recognize we need saving the more saving can take place.
So we pray constantly, Come, Lord Jesus!
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